Hall said the decision was difficult, but cited Sims' job as a public employee and the fact that the theft occurred over a two-year period. Her sentence was longer than what prosecutors had sought.

Sims was the longtime assistant to former Madison County District 3 Commissioner District 3 Commissioner Jerry Craig , who served seven terms before retiring in 2012.

Prosecutors had suggested prison time, if the judge went outside sentencing guidelines, and a 9-month sentence in the county jail if she stayed within the guidelines, said Alabama Assistant Attorney General Robert Lisenby, who prosecuted the case.

Alabama Attorney General Luther Strange commended the prosecution this afternoon.

"Ms. Sims betrayed the public's trust by stealing more than $150,000 from a public fund, and I am pleased that she will have to repay every penny she stole from the citizens of Madison County and will serve time in jail for it," Strange said. "This conviction should send a message to all public employees that stealing taxpayers' money will not be tolerated."

The defense had asked for probation. The judge noted that under state sentencing guidelines Sims' first-degree theft charge was a "non-prison offense," unless she thought aggravating factors presented by the prosecution were persuasive. Sims pleaded guilty to the theft charge last month.

"I do agree with the state that the public looks at all of us who are government employees and expects us to conduct ourselves in a certain way," Hall said. "I take no pleasure at all in sentencing you, this is much harder than I ever would have thought possible, but I have to do what's possible for all concerned."

Sims also faces the prospect of having to pay back $100,000 to Traveler's Insurance, which had paid Madison County's claim on a loss prevention policy. Sims has already paid the county back more than $54,000 and told the court she would work to pay back the insurance company.

Her attorney Robert Patterson told the court Sims had battled cancer and her husband was also having health problems when she began taking money from the Madison County Fishing Rodeo account in 2010. A group of Sims' family members and friends were in court today and they attested to her caring nature and urged the court to give her probation.

Sims wept as she expressed remorse to the court and vowed to repay the money. She will be eligible to apply for work release while serving her jail sentence.

Following the sentencing, Patterson said the judge put a lot of thought into the sentence and the defense respects her decision. He said Sims had faced the charges without making excuses and worked to pay back the money.

"This has been a very difficult case for all concerned," he said. "There were a lot of extenuating circumstances that led her to make these foolish decisions.

The prosecutors said the evidence showed Sims had access to a county bank account and county credit and debit cards and used that access to get cash and personal items valued at more than $154,000. In a court filing Thursday, the prosecution argued Sims diverted money from the county's Fishing Rodeo account.

"When Sims obtained money that was supposed to go into county treasury funds – the fishing rodeo account or other county accounts --- she ultimately diverted the money for her own personal use," according to the filing. "At a trial, the state would have introduced evidence that, when confronted about the fishing rodeo account, she told one county commissioner that was her account and he had no business opening her mail from the bank."

Madison County officials said they became aware of irregularities in December 2012 after Eddie Sisk, who won an election to replace the retiring Craig as the District 3 commissioner, discovered a bank account related to "private work." That's when county employees do privately paid work on private property. The long-standing practice was ended by the Madison County Commission.

Craig has not been charged with any crime. Sims was terminated as a county employee in January 2013, Sisk said.